Road machine



Dec. 11, 1934,

F. D WILSON 1,983,826

RoAb MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 20, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 F. D. WILSON ROAD MACHINE De M, 1934.

Original Filed Oct. 20, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 NN WW Deco M H934 F. D. WILSON p w ROAD MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 20, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Dec ill, 1934i STATES PATENT @FFHCE lit/(DAD MAQHIINIE Fred 1D Wilson, Harvey, Hill, assignor to Western- Anstin Company, a corporation of Illinois (Original application Uctolier 20, 1928, sen-n No.

313,736. Divided and this application Septemher 21, 1931, Serial No. 563,938

MD (Claims. (Cl. 180-22) The present invention relates to road mamultiple drive wheel. The portion of the weight chines, and more in particular to a road machine of the tractor which in the prior constructions or motor grader propelled by its own power and is carried on the front steering wheels, and provided with a dual or multiple drive. The which is just so much weight deducted from the 5 present application is a division of my co-pendtractive effort or power of the power plant itself, 5

ing application Serial No. 313,730, filed October is by the present construction placed on the for- 20, 1928, and issued on October 27, 1931, as ward pair of drive wheels, thereby adding such Patent No. 1,829,622. additional v traction and greatly increasing the Among the objects of the present invention is eiiiciency and power of the machine.

to provide a road machine or motor grader with A further object of the invention is the provia novel construction of dual or multiple drive sion of a power plant or tractor in an automomechanism. In the prior constructions of road tive road machine, in which the dual or multiple machines or graders, the power plant is pro-' drive wheels provide a four-point ground convided with a pair of driving wheels positioned at tact, thus providing greater resistance to side the rear end of an elongated frame and is rigidly slipping at that point. In the common type of secured to the grader frame forwardly of the motor grader provided with a single pair of drive Wheels. As the primary function of the driving wheels at the rear, a heavy side load ordinary road machine or motor grader is to on the blade or road working tool will cause the properly maintain the surface of road beds, front steering wheels to skid toward the side of generally constructed of gravel or macadam and the road or ditch when material is being moved in most instances provided with a relatively hard in the opposite direction to a much greater exsurface, great pressure on the surfacing tool or tent than a machine having a dual drive mechablade is essential. Such pressure can only be nism in which the drive wheels are positioned in W obtained by borrowing weight from the frame and tandem. This is due to the fact that in the associated parts through the medium of the prior constructions when the front end gives blade controlling mechanism. Way to the side pressure on the blade or road Thus in order to push the surfacing tool or working tool, it must pivot the tractor or power blade into the road bed, such blade or tool must plant on its rear wheels. One rear wheel of the force the frame upwardly and because this frame tractor or power plant next to the skidding side 33) is rigidly secured to the power plant or tractor, always forms a pivot around which the machine the weight borrowed for use of the blade or surrevolves when the front end goes into a skid. In facing tool is taken from the traction wheels of the dual drive mechanism d los in the p the power plant. This considerably reduces the ent construction, this pivotal point, instead of traction or pushing ability of the traction wheels being a mere line on a tire of a single wheel in by causing slippage on the ground surface, and contact with the ground, is a base line several also causes rapid wear of the tires. It is one of feet long between the points of contact of the the objects of the present invention to provide a two drive wheels positioned in tandem on the power plant with dual or multiple drive wheels, side of the supposed skid. preferably positioned in tandem, and the for- Another object of the invention is the provi- 4) ward end of the power plant or tractor being so sion of a drive mechanism which is relatively 40 mounted as to be freely movable up and down free from miring. In the prior types of single between the grader frame rails, so that no part of drive construction, when both of the drive wheels its weight is carried by the frame. The power run into a soft or wet spot, both of them naturalplant has no connection with the frame other 1y lose their traction. Even when but one of the 43 thanasimple adjusting device to position it interpair of drive wheels in said prior construction 45 mediate the rails and keep it in place without gets into such a spot, the entire machine is practouching such rails. The up-and-down movetically helpless. ment of the forward end of the tractor is not In the present construction, in view of the communicated to the frame or blade of the grader, multiple or dual drive wheels, and in View of the as there is no connection between the tractor or greater weight on such drive wheels, these Wheels 5 power plant and grader frame, except through give more and better ground contact, since such the rear axle to which the side rails are attached. contact is spread over four distinct areas sepa- Another object of the invention is to provide a rate from each other, and in View thereof, it driving unit whereby the entire weight of the follows that if one or two of the Wheels run into power plant or tractor is on its own dual or a soft or wet spot, there will still be two or three left on hard ground and sufiicient traction will be available to carry the machine safely through such places.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a construction in which the front end of the power plant is always free and unhampered regardless of the kind of work done by the blade or surfacing tool or the amount of pressure applied thereon.

Further objects are to provide a construction of maximum simplicity, efiiciency, and ease of assembly, operation and maintenance, and such further objects, advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear and as are inherently possessed thereby.

The invention further resides in the combination, construction and arrangements of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and while there is shown therein a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of modification and change and comprehends other details and constructions, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of my road machine, two of the driving wheels having been removed to more clearly disclose details of construction.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the road machine.

Fig. 3 is a view in vertical cross section taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of the supporting construction for the forward drive wheels.

Fig. 5 is a view in vertical cross section taken on the line 5--5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a view in vertical cross section taken on the line 66 of Fig. 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the novel road machine comprises a frame 1 which is arched intermediate its ends and provided at the front end with steering wheels 2 mounted upon an axle 3 and at its rear end with traction or drive wheels 4. These front steering Wheels may be of the usual construction or they may be made adjustable so as to lean at an angle \to the axle member 3. The drive wheels 4 are mounted on a drive shaft or axle 5 of a power (plant 6, the rear axle housing 7 of the drive shaft or axle 5 being connected to the frame 1 by means of U-shaped bracket members 8. Forward drive wheels 9 are mounted upon an axle 10, the ends of the axle being mounted in heavy steel rocker beams 11 which are pivotally mounted on the rear axle housing '7. By this rocker beam construction, the front and rear drive wheels are always kept in alignment and the front drive wheels may move vertically. The axle is mounted within bearing blocks 12 adjustvably positioned within guide surfaces in an opening provided in the forward end of the rocker beams 11.

The. front end of each rocker beam 11 is provided with a multiple leaf spring 13 connected at its forward end on a rocker arm 14 pivotally mounted on a bracket 15 suitably connected to brace member 16 positioned on the forward end of the power plant 6. Suitable anchoring bolts 1'? and 18 connect the rear ends of the leaf spring to the rocker beam 11. This construction allows for limited vertical oscillation of the rocker beams and the front drive wheels.

In order to drive the front or forward traction wheels, the rear traction wheels have their hubs 19 provided with an annular flange 20, each flange carrying and having rigidly connected thereto a sprocket 21. Likewise, the front drive wheels 9 are each provided with a hub 22 carrying an annular flange 23 upon which is rigidly mounted a sprocket 24. A roller bearing chain 25 meshes with the sprocket members 21 and 24 and drives the forward or front drive wheels 9 through the medium of the rear drive wheels 4. In order to permit adjustment of the chain 25, the bearing blocks 12 are made adjustable by means of a threaded member 26 which is adapted to shift the block within the bearing surfaces. Such shifting likewise changes the position of the forward axle 10 and its drive wheels 9.

In order to prevent lateral play or movement of the power plant relative to the frame, the invention comprehends the provision of an equalizing device comprising horizontally arranged arms 27 and 28 pivotally connected at 29 and 30, respectively, to the brace member or frame 16 of the power plant. The arm members 27 and 28 are further pivoted at 31 and 32, respectively, upon an arm member 33, this member 33 being in turn pivoted at 34 upon a diagonal brace rod 35 which is rigidly secured by brace members 36 and 37 to the side rails of the grader frame 1.

The front wheels 2 are operated by steering mechanism including a steering shaft 38 and steering wheel 39 operable from the operators station or platform 40. Located rearwardly of the front wheels and near the forward end of the machine, is mounted a scarifier 41 upon a frame 42 which is pivotally mounted at 43 upon a bracket 44. This pivotal connection allows the scarifier to be raised or lowered, in or away from contacting relation with the ground. The mechanism for raising or lowering the scarifier comprises pivotally mounted rods 45 mounted on opposite sides of the machine and connected to the scarifier adjacent its ends as at 46. The upper ends of the rods 45 are pivotally connected at 47 to pivotally mounted arm members 48 mounted upon a shaft 49 adapted to be rotated by a train of gears 50 and an arcuate rack 51. The gears 50 are operated by means of a shaft 52 and wheel 53.

Mounted below the arched frame 1 is a triangular frame 54, the forward end 55 of which fioats on a vertical pivot pin (not shown). This frame carries oh its under side, a blade supporting wheel 56 upon which is mounted a grader blade or surfacing tool 57 by means of arms or bracket members 58. This blade supporting wheel 56 is rotatably mounted on the frame, and for this purpose, the inner periphery cf the wheel 56 is provided with an arcuate rack having teeth 59 in mesh with a spur gear (not shown) mounted on a shaft 61, this shaft having at its upper end a beveled gear 62 in mesh with a bevel gear 63 mounted upon an operating shaft 64. A hand wheel 65 is adapted to rotate the shaft 64 and to in turn rotate the blade carrying circle or supporting wheel 56 through the medium of the bevel gears, spur gear and rack.

In order to shift the position of the frame 54 and blade carried thereby, a pair of rods 66, one on each side of the frame is provided. Each of these rods is pivotally mounted at 67 upon the frame 54, and at its upper end is pivotally mounted at 68 upon an arm 69 which in .turn is mounted at 70 upon a shaft '71. This shaft is connected to bell cranks '72, one on each side of the shaft, and these bell cranks are each in turn connected to a tubular casting 73, internally threaded to receive a threaded shaft 74 operated by a hand wheel 75. Any rotation of the hand wheel 75 will necessarily operate the shaft 74 and due to its threaded connection with casting '73, will retract or push forward the bell cranks 72. so as to raise or lower the arms 69 and the frame 54. By reason of there being provided two of these operating mechanisms, one on each side of the machine, either or both sides of the triangular frame 54 may be raised or lowered as desired.

In order to provide lateral adjustment of the frame 54 and its blade transverse of the road or the longitudinal axis of the machine, the frame 54 is provided with a threaded block or nut 76. Threadedly engaging this block or nut is a threaded shaft 77 upon which is mounted a beveled gear 78 adapted to mesh with a bevel gear 79 upon a shaft 80 provided with a hand wheel 81 for operating the same. Thus whenever the operator rotates the hand wheel 81, he rotates the beveled gears 78 and '79 and the threaded shaft 77, which by reason of its threaded connection with the nut or block 76, swings the frame and blade assembly in a horizontal plane about the pivotal connection 55 at the front of the frame 54.

From the above detailed description and the disclosure in the drawings, it will be readily seen that the invention comprehends a road machine or automotive road grader of the greatest possible efiiciency and rigidity. By means of the dual drive construction, it is possible to proceed over soft ground and get out of slippery, wet or otherwise impossible holes and keep its place on slip pery roads without sliding sidewise or skidding into a ditch, in a manner totally foreign to the old two wheel drive type. The tractive effort of any automotive vehicle or motor grader depends upon the area of contact between the wheels and the ground and the pressure applied to that area. Naturally, the greater weight and traction of the multiple drive wheels of the present construction, provides for greater and better ground contact, which being spread over four distinct areas separate from each other so that if one or two of the wheels runs into a soft or wet spot there will still be two or three left on, hard ground, and these provide traction sufiicient to carry the machine to places where a two wheel drive would stall and have to be dug or towed out. Also, the forward drive wheels pressing down the softer material as they pass through, provide a solid footing for the rear wheels following immediately after. Thus the construction may be efficiently operated on soft ground and under unfavorable conditions.

Further by reason of the location of the driving wheels at the rear of the machine with one pair of the driving wheels placed forwardly of the first pair, an effective means is provided which offers a substantial resistance to the tendency of the side draft to force the inachine out of its natural course. By'reason of the multiple drive construction, all of the wheels become positive drivers and each taking its portion of the traction load. This gives positive tractive effort on four separate and distinct parts of the road surface. The freedom of motion that the power plant has in the frame enables it to adapt itself easily to whatever type of road it may be passing over and the drive wheels on either side can pass over obstructions without deflecting the course of the machine as a whole.

Although the disclosure is that of a road grader or machine, it is to be understood that the power plant and driving means therefor, as well as the mounting thereof in a frame and the details of construction, are suitably adapted for any auto- Having thus disclosed the invention, I claim:

1. In an automotive machine, a frame there-. for, steering wheels at the front of said frame and a power plant at the rear of .said frame, said power plant being provided with multiple drive wheels positioned in tandem, rocker beams for connecting the drive wheels on each side of the frame, the forward end of each rocker beam-being mounted on springs connected to the forward end of the power plant.

. 2. In an automotive machine, a frame therefor, steering wheels at the front of said frame and a power plant at the rear of said frame, said power plant being provided with multiple drive wheels, rocker beams connecting the drive wheels on each side of the frame, and a spring'support for the end of each of said rocker beams whereby to permit the forward ends of the rocker beams and the forward drive wheels to oscillate vertically with respect to the frame.

3. In an automotive road machine, a frame.

therefor, steering wheels at the front of said frame and a power plant at the rear of said frame, a pair of drive wheels at the rear of said power plant, rocker beams mounted on said drive wheels, an axle mounted on said rocker beams, a pair of drive Wheels mounted on said axle, and a spring support connected to said rocker beams and the power plant to permit said axle and its drive wheels to move vertically in accordance with the contour of the road surface.

4. In an automotive road machine, a frame therefor, steering wheels at the front and a power plant at the rear of said frame, the rear of said power plant being connected to the frame, and means for connecting the front .of said power plant to the frame whereby to permit vertical oscillation only of the power plant, said means comprising horizontally arranged arm members pivotally connected to the power plant, another to which member said latter arm is pivotally connected.

5. In an automotive road machine, a frame therefor, steering wheels at the front and a power plant at the rear of said frame, the rear of said power plant being connected to the frame, and equalizing means'connected to the front of said power plant to prevent lateral movement thereof while permitting vertical oscillation, said means comprising a pair of parallel armspivotally connected at their opposite ends to'the sides of the power plant, a brace member rigidly mounted on the frame, and a third arm having its ends pivotally connected to the adjacent ends of said other arms and pivoted intermediate its ends upon the brace member,

6. In an automotive road machine, a frame therefor, steering wheels at the front and a power plant at the rear of said frame, a pair of drive wheels at the rear of said power plant, rocker beams mounted at one endon said drive wheels, a second pair of drive wheels mounted on said rocker beams, and a flexible mounting for the other end of said rocker beams whereby to permit said second pair of drive wheels to move vertically with respect to the frame.

7. In an automotive machine, a frame therefor,

steering wheels at thefront of said frame and a means for driving each forward drive wheel from its respective rear drive wheel, and a member connecting said front and rear drive wheels, said member being flexibly mounted for permitting vertical movement of the forward drive wheels relative to the frame.

8. In an automotive road machine, a frame therefor, steering wheels at the front and a power plant at the rear of said frame, a pair of drive wheels at the rear of said power plant, rocker beams mounted at one end on said drive wheels, means for flexibly mounting the opposite end of the rocker beams upon the power plant, an axle mounted on said rocker beams, a pair of drive wheels mounted on said axle, and a sprocket chain drive for driving each forward drive wheel from its respective rear drive wheel.

9. In an automotive road machine, a frame therefor, steering wheels at the front and a power plant at the rear of said frame, a pair of drive wheels at the rear of said power plant, rocker neeaeae beams mounted at one end on said drive wheels, means for flexibly mounting the opposite end of the rocker beams upon the power plant, an ame mounted on said rocker beams, a pair of drive wheels mounted on said axle, a sprocket chain drive for driving each forward drive wheel from its respective rear drive wheel, and means for varying the tension on said chain drive.

10. In an automotive road machine, a frame therefor, steering wheels at the front and a power plant at the rear of said frame, and means for connecting the front of said power plant to the frame, said means comprising a pair of arms each connected at one end to the power plant, an arm connecting the other ends of said first mentioned arms, and means for pivotally connecting the last mentioned arm to the frame whereby to permit vertical oscillation of the power plant but preventing lateral movement thereof with respect to the frame.

FRED D. WILSON. 

